Emergency tarping: I learned a few things from watching the people around here do it the wrong way.

First, have your tarps before you need them. Find a sale, get what you want, then put them somewhere you can find them easily if you need them in a hurry, and make sure family and friends understand that they are NOT available for non-emergencies.

Also have on hand a bunch of cheap lumber. I used 1x3s that worked fine. They were 10 ft long, could have been longer, but they were free. These are to hold the tarps down. Nailing tarps down without wood strips is a waste of time, money and effort.

I tied cheap rope onto the corners of the tarp and let them hang down. I used these to maneuver the tarps mostly into position from the ground. (I'm pretty sure this won't work if the wind is blowing.) Spread out the tarp(s), overlap by a foot or so if necessary, lay the wood just inside the edges and nail or screw them down. Once this is done, lay more strips across the body of the tarp and anchor them, too.

If you just need to cover one side of the roof, be sure to start the tarp at least a foot or more on the OTHER side of the peak. I don't know how many times I've seen people lay tarps on their roof starting a foot or two below the peak, which lets the water run under the tarp.

You can do the same with windows of stick-built homes, but if you're going to be living in them, some heavy clear plastic would probably be better. Use the wood strips here, too.

If you're in a metal mobile home, use heavy plastic and duct tape. The metal and the plastic both have to be dry. Anchor all the edges first, then lay strips of duct tape across the middle for strength, probably every 12-18-24", depending on the wind. Do it vertically and horizontally.

Others here may have more suggestions.

Sue